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PS2
Tenka Bito
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NCS
Game Synopsis
«©NCSX»
Warring States are ruining the simple life for
peasants and court eaters alike when massive armies
raze the countryside with their war mongering. As
skirmishes erupt in local areas and allies are drawn
into the fray, the battles only get bigger as more
and more contingents of troops join the war. At the
outset of the game, players guide a single general
into battle who commands a powerful cavalry against
a larger force but new alliances may be formed
directly on the battlefield. While some alliances
are mutually beneficial, others are more of a
consequence of circumstance to contain opposing
forces. As the balance of power shifts from battle
to battle, new situations and missions pop up that
require handling. As mentioned earlier, the game
starts with a single general but as allies are met
and/or conquered, control over the new generals and
leaders is also granted to the gamer for direct
guidance of pools of soldiers, archers, cavalry, and
even an occasional temporary force of carpenters.
From a small force of soldiers on a local
battlefield, the game eventually features massive
marshaling of armies against other massive armies
for chaotic battles on massive battlefields. The end
goal is the domination of all other forces and
houses to unite the entirety of Japan under a single
crest.
NCS Game Notes.
* In the intro to the game, a silhouette of a
maiden dances elegantly before the scene changes to
that of a horse and rider galloping downhill
followed by scenes of cast members in the game
posing for the camera. The warriors then engage in
battle and action sequences. The maiden from earlier
returns in full color this time and she dances near
a torch which blazes in the night followed by a
hacker who grimaces at the camera and strikes his
sword downwards with a killing stroke.
* Upon starting a new game, your forces are carrying
a yellow crest on each horse to distinguish
themselves from the enemy. They're arrayed at the
center of the screen amidst a green pasture with
hillocks around. On the lower left portion of the
screen is the commander's portrait followed by
overall strength and level. On the lower right
screen is a topographical view of the battlefield.
Press "O" to continue and scope out the forces of
your opponent on the upper left corner of the screen
who are hefting their own crests which are colored
black. To charge into the enemy ranks, select the
general with the "O" button and move the cursor into
the midst of the enemy and press "O" again. A roar
of approval will sound from your troops and they'll
charge like wildebeests into the enemy gathering.
The fighting is automatic and the din of combat soon
sounds off as your mounted cavalry decimates the
enemy. After defeating the first group, there's
another group of enemies to the upper left portion
of the screen which wait for annihilation.
Unfortunately, the first few groups of enemy
soldiers don't give much of a battle but this is a
tutorial to get you acquainted. The skirmishes and
all-out wars become much more rigorous in later
levels.
* After the initial battle, your strength is
indicated lower but none the worse for wear as all
of your mounted troops have survived the battle. The
next lesson teaches the gamer to visit a friendly
garrison to recover troop strength. Once at full
power again, there are five main phalanxes of troops
to be conquered as you make your way through the
map.
* During battle, you may occasionally see one of
your horse and riders toppled over but one only
point of damage is incurred. You may also check out
the strength level of an enemy when you're on the
attack to see how their troop strength is
diminishing or growing compared to your own.
* After a battle, the grey corpses of your enemies
may be seen littered on the battlefield with their
broken and desiccated bodies which look a lot like
husks.
* The camera in Tenka Bito is fairly versatile but
there's a slight problem with the overhead map
that's located on the lower-right corner of the
screen taking up too much space when you're focusing
in on the action. The L-analog moves the camera all
over the landscape while the R-analog swivels the
camera around and also punches in close and pans out
for a wider view. However, when you pan in close,
Sega should have made accommodations to reduce the
size of the topographical map to scale with the
closer view of the action. As it is, it stays the
same size and obscures much of the action when
you're focused in on the battle. There is an option
to remove the map entirely (press SELECT and toggle
the first option) but we wanted to use the map to
get our bearings.
* There's a point in the training level where your
troops have to break through a barrier of brambles
while the opposing army shoots masses of arrows at
your cavalry. Keep attacking the brambles since
they'll eventually give way and you'll be able to
attack the archers. After plowing through them,
you'll join a contingent of your forces who are
holed up near the gates of the enemy fortress. They
trade a few arrows but no headway is being done. To
press the attack, direct your men and storm the
gates. The troops will take damage and get beaten
back by volleys of arrows but they'll eventually
destroy the wooden gate and ride in for the kill.
The gate has a life bar that's indicated directly in
front of it. After a few attacks and losing only
about 100 units of troop strength out of 763, the
door is done.
* The first battle after breaking through is tricky
because the enemy is located near a garrison which
continually replenishes their health but as your
troops continue the attack, the enemy loses health
faster than they regain it. Once you take over the
garrison, you can transform it to one of your own
and it will then replenish the health of your weary
troops. There's one final battle against a mighty
lord who uses magic to aid his troops. The trick to
defeating him is to attack him first and then
retreat to the garrison. Once you're at the garrison
and being replenished, his troops have no chance and
they'll soon be decimated and he'll be captured.
* Once captured, he'll join your party and lead a
contingent of your troops. In the next scene, your
forces have to cross a great expanse that is guarded
by enemy troops. There's a point where your troops
have to temporarily become carpenters to build a
portion of a bridge so they can cross to the side of
the enemy fortress and garrison. Your forces will
also engage in a fight in shallow water as well as
take over an enemy catapult to use on the opposing
side...
* If you suffer heavy losses in a battle, you can
regain all of your cavalrymen by retreating to a
friendly garrison. Even if you only have 1
cavalryman left along with your general, all of your
troops can be recovered once you reach the garrison
and have the time to regain your forces.
* Tenka Bito is an addictive game that is
reminiscent of the Warcraft series with instant
troop movement and thrilling battles. Arm chair
strategists will have to make do with simple
commands but that's the beauty of the game engine
which does not get bogged down by overly complicated
systems and sub-systems. It's pure hack,
diversionary tactics, the occasional retreat and the
eventual return. The missions do become more
involved as your armies progress and grow ever
larger and more formidable but the quick click and
attack game play remains through the levels. There
are battles where hundreds of soldiers are battling
all at once which makes it a chaotic scene but you
can always check your troop strength by hovering the
cursor over your immediate general to get an idea of
how the battle is faring. If your strength is
dropping precipitously relative to the foe, it's
time to retreat to a garrison to recover health.
* Swords and spears aren't the only weapons
available to the troops. Since battles take place
around the time of the Battle of Sekigahara, muskets
and cannons are available to mow down enemy legions.
Of course, opposing forces also have guns to mow
down your men as well. Based on our early play
however, a group of cavalrymen can mow down
musketmen with relative ease.
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This document is ©NCSX 2006. All rights reserved. No
reproduction in whole or in part of this document
may be made without express written consent of
National Console Support, Inc.
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